Automobile lock mechanism.



G! C. JENSEN.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK MECHAMSM.

Patented Apr. 10,

APPLICATION HLED OCT. 3'. 19l6.

LQQLQSW IN V EN TOR.

W l TNESb A-TTOR NE Y3 enoasn o. Jensen, on onnnnun, csnrroranrn.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK MECll-Idlil'l'idll'l.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented'fillpr. dill, lls ill'l v Application and embel- 31, 191s. Serial no. mares.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnoucn G. JnNsnN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and. State of California,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Lock Mechanism, of which the following is a speci fication.

The present invention relates to a locking mechanism for movable levers, and is particularly adapted for application to the control levers of a motor vehicle.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device of the type described, which may be easily installed upon a type of lever used extensively for shifting the variable speed gears of motor vehicles, and as such constitutes an improvement on the device for which l have filed application for United StatesLetters Patent, under date oi? September 21,1916, Serial No. 121381, "for lock mechanism for automobiles.

The general advantages to be gained by the use of the present invention are similar to those set forth in said previous application, namely that, by means of the invention, the gear shifting lever of a motor vehicle ma be easily and securely locked in its ncu v 'tra position, to prevent the movement of the yehicle under its own power, without interfering with the movement thereof by hand, as for example, when it is desired to move the vehicle from place to place in a garage.

in order to comprehend the invention, reference should be had to'the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section ,of my look as applied to a well known type of motor vehicle gear-shifting lever.

Fig. 2 is a detailed longitudinal section of the lever fulcrum, showing the locking bolt taken at right angles to Fig. l

Figs. 3 and 4 are; transverse sections taken in the direction of the arrows on the lines 33 and t-4;, respectively, of Fig. l.

in the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates a lever of a type commonly used in motor vehicles, having an offset upper portion 2, at the upper end of which is a handle, not shown 'in the drawings. Said lever i is arranged for swinging movement in two vertical planes, and for this purpose is freely fulcrumed upon a horizontal shaft 3, the latter being fixed, as by means oii dowels t, in upwardly extending fixed arms.

or brackets 5. The lower end 6 of the lever 1 is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings as adapted for engagement with the shifter rods of a sliding gear mechanism, said shifter rods and mechanism being well known in the art and therefore not shown in the drawings. The usual spring for holding the lever 1 in its vertical position, laterally, is shown at 7, and an articulated housing for inclosing the fulcrum of said lever is shown at 8. I

The lower, or straight portion of the lever l, is formed with a lineally disposed cylindrical chamber'll, having an open upper end 10 at the oii'set in said lever. The upper portion .9 of said chamber is enlarged to re ceive a suitable lock 11, said lock being retained in position by the annular shoulders 12 and 13, at the ends of said enlarged chamber portion 9;

- Any suitable lock may be employed, preferablyof the cylinder type, being indicated .at 11, in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The projecting lowerend "it of the cylinder of said lock is seen; Jiy' fixed to the upper end oi a cylindrical sleeve 15, rotatably carried within the chamber 5. Within said sleeve 15 is a lineally slidable head 16, having a lug or pin 17, extending laterally therefrom, and projecting through alined lineally disposed.

slots 18 and 19, Fig. 4, in the sleeve 15 and the lever 1 respectively. A knob 20 is secured upon the outer end of said pin 1?, by means of which said pin and the head 16, may be moved lineally within the sleeve 15.

Mounted for transverse sliding movement 2 within the head 16, is a latch member 2i,

Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. Said latch has an inclined outer end portion 22, adapted to project through an aperture 23 in the sleeve 15, and into a notch Ed in the lever l. A spring 25 is provided behind said. latch 21 to force the same outwardly to loclr said head 16 against lineal movement.

Secured to the head 16 is a lineallv dis posed downwardly extending rod 26, Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, said rod passing through a suitable bore or channel 27' in the lever 1., and carrying a bolt 28, adapted to enter a socket 29 in the transverse fulcrum shaft 3, to securely lock the lever 1 against any movement with respect to said shalt. A spring 30, Fig. i, positioned below the head it, acts to normally retain said head and the holt 28 in their upper, or unlocked. icsitions.

To operate the device to lever fl,

it is only necessary to depress the head 16 by means of the projecting knob 20, to move the bolt 28 into the socket 29. This may be easily done, in the device illustrated, by a. movement of the operators foot Ihis depression of the head 16 allows the latch'Ql to project into its socket 2%, thereby retaining said head and the bolt 28 in their lower or locking positions. It is understood, of course, tnat the lever 1 must be in the proper position, before'the same can be locked.

lVhen it is desired to unlock the lever, the lock cylinder 14- is turned, by means of a suitable removable key 31. This rotates the sleeve 15, and by so doing forces the latch 21 inwardly, the edge of the aperture 23 in said sleeve riding upon the inclined surface 22 of said latch, as will readily be seen from Fig. 3 of the drawings. As soon as the latch 21 is entirely within the head 16, said head is raised by the spring 30, and the bolt 28 is thereby withdrawn from its socket 29. If,' for any reason, said bolt should stick, so that the spring 30 could not withdraw it,fthe head 15 lean be forcibly lifted by means of the rejecting knob 20. I

T e sleeve-:15, of course, must be in the proper position to-allovvthe latch 21 to pass through the aperture 23 thereof, to enter the SGCkBiYQ-Zi. This position of said sleeve is secured by turning the lock cylinder 14, by means of its key 31, in a counter-clockwise direction until the rear edge of said apertu a i 23 abuts against the straight back of the latch 21. It will readily be understood that, if the lock cylinder be normally left in this position, that is to provide alinement between the aperture 23 in the sleeve 15 and the socket 24, the bolt 28 can be operated to lock the lever without necessitating the use of the key. Said key of course, must be used to unlock the device.'

In. the preferred form of the device herewith illustrated, the fulcrum pin 3 of the lever 1 is fixed by means of the dowels 4,-

and said lever is permitted to oscillate about said pin,\ as well as to rock laterally thereupon. It is obvious however, that the pin ,3

may be arranged to oscillate with the lever 1, turning in its supports 5. In this'case the bolt 38, would lookthe lever only against lateral rocking movement upon the pin 3.

Other changes of like nature may be made in the term and construction of the device" as herewith illustrated and herein described, without in any way affecting the essential principles of the invention. Moreover, the invention is not restricted to use upon motor vehicle geanshifting levers, but may be employed in connection with any lover of suitable form and. construction. It is therefore my wish to be understood as claiming the invention as broadly as the state of the art will Having thus described the invention,

what I claim as new and desire to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a movable lever and an associated stationary member; a

lineally movable member, within said lever, adapted to engage said stationary member for locking the lever thereto; a latch member carried by said lineally movable mcmher for automatically retaining the same in locking position by engagement with said 5 for locking the lever thereto; a transverselyur'ovable latch member carried by said linea'lly movable member and rovided with a beveled face for automatically retaining the same in locking position; and lock controlled means capable of movement toengage said face for engaging and releasing said latch member.

3. In combination with a fulcrum member and a lever carried thereby and adapted for movement relative thereto; a lineally movable member associated with said lever and adapted to engage said fulcrum member to lock said lever thereto; a latch member carried by said lineally movable member for retaining the same in looking position, and rotatable lock controlled means for releasing said latch member.

4. In combination with a fulcrum member having a socket, a lever carried by said fulcrum member and adapted'for movement relative thereto; a lineally movable bolt associated with said lever and adapted to enter said socket ,to lock said lever to said fulcrum member; a transversely movable latch membcr carried by said bolt for retaining the same in locking position; an axially rotatable lock controlled means carried by said lever for releasing said latch member.

5. In combination with a fulcrum member, and a lever carried thereby and adapted for movement, relative thereto; a lineally movable member associated with said lever and adapted to engage said fulcrum member to lock said lever thereto; a latch member carried by said lineally movable member for retaining the same in-locking position; and rotatable-lock controlled means sur-v rounding said lineally movable member and through which said latch extends for releasing said latch member.

6. In combination with a fulcrum memher and alever carried thereby and adapted for movement relative theret a lineally movable bolt, within said levcrfhdapted to engage said fulcrum member to lock said lever thereto; a head carried by the upper 1,221,994 r it end of said bolt; a latch member mounted in said head and adapted to engage the lever to hold said bolt in looking position; a movable sleeve surrounding said head Within said lever for controlling said latch rnei'nber; and lock controlled means for actouting said sleeve.

I "Z. In combination with a fulcrum membeigencl a lever carried thereby, and adapt ed for movement relative thereto; a lineally movable bolt, Within said lever, adapted to engage said fulcrum member to lock said lever thereto; a head carried by the up er end of said bolt; a transversely move 1e latch member mounted in said head and adapted to engage the lever to hold said bolt in locking' pos'ition'; a rotatable sleeve surrounding said head within said'lever for controlling said latch member; a lock controlled means for actuating-said sleeve. y

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. x GEORGE C. JENSEN.

Witnesses: N. A. AoKnR,

D. B. RICHARDS. 

